Happy Friday!!!

I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!!!  Enjoy my Friday Favorites Vlog featuring Glossy Box and Lushair Unisex Salon.

You can check out Glossy Box on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram.

LUSHAIR Salon can be found at:

3327 Park Ave.  Wantagh, NY 11793

(516)809-9977

You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram.  

Last Thursday I was in NYC for Fitness Magazine’s Meet and Tweet!!!  I also had the opportunity to meet and workout with Dolvett Quince courtesy of Dr. Scholl’s Active Series at Chelsea Piers!

Recaps are coming, but here is a preview:

By Thursday night I was sure that the Brooklyn Half would not go so well for me.  I ran 3 miles on Wednesday and about 2 miles on Thursday, both ending with knee pain.  I did not have my knee taped with KT Tape for either of these runs.  My hope at this point was to finish the Brooklyn Half in under 2 1/2 hours, walking when necessary.

Friday I woke up super sore from the 13 + miles I covered in the city on Thursday.  Maybe I should have cabbed it instead of walking everywhere, but I figured I was in the city for fitness events so I walked.  I was at the Mercedes Club for the Fitness Meet and Tweet and then at Chelsea Piers working out with Dolvett from The Biggest Loser.  Recaps to come later this week.

I had planned to meet Ra from KT Tape to have my knee taped for Saturday, but unfortunately I was too busy with work and a birthday party after to meet him.  I had watched him tape me twice and felt confident I could tape myself adequately enough for at least the race.

My success was due to these tips for taping:

• Clean area well, dry and DO NOT use any lotion.
• Spray area well with KT Tape Ultra Stick Adhesive.
• Use the synthetic KT Tape.
• Do not touch the adhesive on tape during application.
• After application spray KT Tape Ultra Stick Adhesive over taped area.
• No activity for an hour after application.

Here is my completely successful application:

I laid out my outfit, gathered everything I would need for the race and hit the sack by 9 pm so I would be ready for my 4:30 am wake up call.  My outfit featured a skirt from Rock City Skirts!  I did not see one other person wearing a rocking skirt like this one!!!  It was the perfect accompaniment to my outfit and comfortable too!!

Saturday morning I was up before my alarm at 4:15, I tend to have an internal alarm clock, but always set my alarm as a back up.  I ate two eggs, got dressed and headed out the door by 4:50 am.  I got to my friend Crystal’s hour by 5:10 am.

From there we headed to Dunkin Donuts for some much needed coffee and then on to our other friend’s house so he could drop us at Prospect Park.  Getting to this race was the most stressful part because there really was no easy way from Long Island, plus since it started in Prospect Park and ended at Coney Island if we drove ourselves we would have to figure out how to get back to our car.  Lucky for us our friend was willing to get up at 5:30 am to drop us at the start and then pick us up at the finish.

It was an uneventful ride to Prospect Park, unlike our trip there a 2 years ago for the Rock ‘n’ Roll 10K.  We arrived by 6:30 am, leaving us plenty of time to walk around and get into our corrals by 7:05 am.

We had a lot of friends running the race, but couldn’t find any prior due to the massive amount of people!  We talked to a nice couple from Maryland, before heading into our separate corrals.

The corrals were packed!!  I talked to a nice woman from Brooklyn while waiting for the race to start!  The first corrals set off at 7:00 am and we headed out at about 7:33 am!  For such a huge race it was really well organized and the start went off without a hitch.

My plan for the race was to walk through every water station.  My biggest anxiety was over the hills in Prospect Park because my knee hurt the most running uphill.

• Mile 1 was mostly downhill and flat.
• Miles 2-3.5 were mostly flat too.
• Mile 3.5 started the uphill into Prospect Park, slight uphill, not as bad as I expected.

• Miles 3.5-4.5 started with a slight uphill, followed by slight downhill.
• Miles 4.5-6 was mostly uphill, it was hard and felt like it was never going to end, but still not as bad as I expected plus no pain.
•  All I kept repeating to myself was, “What goes up must come down.”
• By Mile 7 I was riding the downhill and excited to leave the park!  Mile 7 is actually my favorite mile because I could start counting down!!!! 6-5-4-3-2-1 then finish!!!
• Miles 7.5-12.5 was a mostly flat, straight run to Coney Island.  This section was slightly boring and I was thankful the sun was not beating down on me.  I welcomed the rain at mile 8, but it only drizzled for a short time.  I had stopped an walked through every water stop until mile 9, when I knew if I stopped I would not be able to start again.  At mile 10 I had to go to the bathroom, but one look into the porto potty sent my running and I didn’t stop until the finish.  By mile 11 I was reciting my mantra, “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”  My legs were basically numb the last 2 miles, it was all mental at that point.
• Mile 12.5-13.1 was amazing!!!  Coming into Coney Island and then heading onto the Boardwalk for the finish was just amazing!! I felt absolutely awesome.

Success!!!  I trained, I ran, I finished!!!  My goal was to finish, my secret goal was to finish in under 2:15!  I achieved both and did better than I thought possible!!!  After the race while waiting for my friend Crystal to finish I ran into Sarah @100calspermile and Gigi from Running On Candy.  Gigi and I have run in many smaller, local races and never met up, but in a crowd of 40,000 plus we finally meet!!!!

In addition to myself I have three people I give credit to for helping me finish race:

• Fred Benlein, the We Are Athletes Coach, who gave me the exercises necessary to strengthen my knee.
• Amanda from FitOrbit who provided me with an awesome cross-training program that perfectly complemented my running.
• Ra from KT Tape who showed me how to tape my knee!!!!!!!

I KNOW KT Tape go me through this race, because my runs without it were horrible.  I had no pain the entire race!  During the last quarter mile I felt my ITB band, but it was not pain, just discomfort.  My knee held and never swelled like it did on my past two runs.  KT Tape is awesome and my application was still perfectly intact at the end of the race.

Have an injury??  I highly recommend trying KT Tape!

This was a great race overall and while high from the run I signed up for my next half marathon:

The Virginia Beach Rock ‘n’ Roll September 1st!!!!

Running causes temporary insanity!!!

Did anyone else run the Brooklyn Half?  How was your experience?

Disclosure:  I received a Rock City Skirt for review.  All opinions are 100% my own.

Giveaways:

• “Dry Down” Jack Black Giveaway via at Brooklyn Fit Chick ends 5/20/13 <—Looks like an awesome product for all those areas that rub during running, cycling, etc.!!!  I want to win!!
• Maison Le Grand giveaway via My (Mostly) Healthy Life <—Sauces and pestos that look awesome!!!
• Fundraising with a great giveaway via Couch to Ironwoman ends 5/10/13<<–She is trying to raise money for a great cause for an upcoming marathon and offering a great giveaway of multiple products!!!!  Check it out!!!
• Pro Compression Review and Giveaway via Just Keep Running <—Love my Pro Compression socks!

Motivation/Inspiration:

• Weekly Mantra via Peace, Love and Oats<–Great mantra!

Running:

• My run and a rant via this Mommy Runs<—Drivers need to be much more aware of pedestrians!!!
• Running Lessons via Live, Do, Grow

Miscellaneous:

• @UAWomen #WhatsBeautiful HOW-TO Site Tutorial via Oatmeal in My Bowl<–Great way to navigate this site!!  If you haven’t already check out the challenge and join my team!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!!  

As you read this I will be on my way to the Brooklyn Half Marathon!!!!

What’s Beautiful?  

Belief in oneself and one’s powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance.

This is one of the many definition’s of CONFIDENCE.

Beauty is not defined by a number on a scale or by the dress size we wear.  Beauty is not all about what portray on the outside, but it is also how we feel about ourselves on the inside.  Confidence exudes beauty.  When we are confident in ourselves and our abilities we instantly project beauty.

I am so excited to have been chosen by FitFluential to participate in Under Armour’s What’s Beautiful Campaign because this is my chance to completely recapture my confidence.  To stop wavering between the confident me and the insecure me.  To join a group of confident female athletes in a community that will support each other through this competition and beyond.

The last few years I have found confidence in myself and in places that I least expected it.  I started a blog and was confident enough to put myself out there in the world for everyone to see.  I achieved goals, like my 1:54 half-marathon, that I never thought I could achieve.  I went to FitBloggin’ by myself, without my family and socialized with many people that I have never met before.  Who is this person???  This is the confident me, but I have not always been confident in myself or my abilities and at times, I still struggle.

Confidence in myself has always been a struggle.  I have a hard time believing in my capabilities.  I have always been a straight A student, I even graduated Suma Cum Laude from nursing school, but after every test I knew I failed, even when I consistently scored 90 or above.  I felt like a fraud, that somehow I was just lucky in achieving the grades I achieved, even though I worked hard to achieve those grades.  I tortured the people around my with my unwarranted insecurities.  Crazy, but true.

Returning to school now I still feel the same way.  I just complete my 2nd semester at Empire State college with my second A, yet I still feel inadequate.  I felt somehow I just slid by, that I just happened upon an A, regardless of the work I put into the numerous papers requiring APA format that I have completed.   I know my thoughts are so far from the truth, but I have a hard time pushing them away.  What is wrong with me??????

My lack of confidence is not exclusive to school, but oozes into every aspect of my life.  Work, social activities, running, etc.  I am my own worst enemy.  At times I feel inadequate or like a failure.  Why??  I have no valid reason other than lack of self-confidence.

I waver between the confident Toni and the insecure Toni that does not feel confident.  As I get older and become more comfortable in my own skin, more often than not I AM the confident Toni.  With each successive accomplishment I push the insecure Toni away, but ever once in awhile she still rears her ugly head.

This past weekend when I went to try on my bridesmaid dress for my sister-in-laws wedding my confidence was once again rocked, by s stupid number on a dress.  I knew much of the bridal party were 2′s or 6′s.  I also knew my hips would push me in the 6-8 range and truly  I was okay with those numbers.  I am NOT defined by a number on a dress.  I was prepared to be on the larger side, but when I ended up with a 10, my preparation was useless.  I am NOT a 10, why am I so big, this sux, everyone else is a 2 and I am a 10.  My mind was filled with negativity and my confidence was nil.

I refuse to allow these thoughts to ruin an otherwise beautiful occasion. This is NOT me!!!  I am a beautiful person inside and out, regardless of a number.  The dress looked beautiful, but I had a hard time seeing that due to a number.  How stupid is that??  Who cares about a number????  I will NOT allow a number make me feel bad about myself.

I WILL rebuild and maintain confidence in myself and my abilities.  I have created Team Confidence for every woman who has ever doubted themselves and allowed insecurities to stop them from pursuing their dreams.

This team is about building confidence! We are all capable of anything we set out to do, we just need the confidence to succeed. Confidence = Success! Step out of your comfort zone with confidence and go after a goal you have always wanted to achieve.

#I WILL.

Join Team Confidence today.  Let’s support each other in building our confidence and achieving our goals.

 Under Armour’s What’s Beautiful Campaign is a competition to redefine the female athlete.  Join.  Create an epic goal.  Aim high and challenge yourself, reach for your ultimate goal!  Document your journey.  Complete challenges.  Be the best you can be!!!   After 8 weeks three individual’s will win an Under Armour retreat to Costa Rica.

In addition to joining my team you can follow me and my individual goals.

You can tweet about this competition using the hashtags #whatsbeautiful #iwill #fitfluential

How do you define Beauty??

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by Under Armour & FitFluential; All opinions and experiences are 100% my own.

This post is sponsored by Friendship Dairy!!  A brand I love and use on a regular basis!!!!

I love dairy!!  Sour cream, cottage cheese, buttermilk, 1% milk and every other cheese product you can imagine!! I have been told multipe times that maybe I should give up dairy for health reason, but I can’t and won’t.  I believe that dairy has place in a healthy diet in moderation!

Friendship dairy has been a part of my cooking like for as long as I can remember.  Cottage cheese, sour cream and buttermilk are amongst my favorites.  I ALWAYS soak my bone-in chicken in buttermilk prior to oven frying it to help make it moist and delicious.  I always use Friendship buttermilk because it is low-fat and delicious!  Their 1% whipped cottage cheese if an absolute favorite of mine, I usually mix it with a mashed banana, 1 tsp of nut butter, and cinnamon for an awesome breakfast.

I was so excited to learn about Friendship’s Food Truck Tour of the NYC metro area featuring a free menu of Friendship protein-packed, on-the-go cottage cheese creations.  This food truck will be rolling across the NYC Metro area from now until June 4th!!!  I was actually pretty sad I missed it at the LI Marathon  

Friendship’s truck will announce locations via Facebook and Twitter that hungry fans can track at facebook.com/friendshipdairies and follow on Twitter at @FriendshipDairy.

For the Food Truck’s launch celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito served up his special Friendship Apple Pie Smoothie created with1% Low Fat Friendship Cottage Cheese.  DiSpirito has been passionate about making healthy lifestyle choices for the past seven years.  He has made it his mission to prove that healthy and delicious are not mutually exclusive.  Friendship and DiSpirito are both dedicated to showcasing the versatility and great taste of Friendship’s all natural, low calorie cottage cheese and to re-introduce people to all of its culinary wonderments.

At sampling venues throughout the month, Friendship’s food truck will offer a free 5-ounce Friendship Fit to Go™ 1% Low Fat, 1% Low Fat Pineapple and 4% Regular Cottage Cheese. You can also opt for the featured mix-ins that add an extra twist: Instant Wasabi featuring Crispy Onions and Wasabi Peas for a crunchy snack with a spicy twist or Granola Glee with Granola, Dried Cranberries, Pumpkin Seeds, and Maple Syrup for an amped up sweet snack.  These creative mix-ins highlight how easy it is to turn a wholesome snack into a delightful treat that you can recreate at home!!!!

Friendship’s truck will feature its iconic white dove on a blue background, with the Fit To Go® logo, so it will be easy to spot coming to a corner near you. Friendship’s Food truck will be canvassing Manhatten and events around the Tri-State area through June, so keep and eye out for it!!!

For complete line of recipes and ideas for incorporating Friendship Cottage Cheese into your everyday eating, please visit www.friendshipdairies.com.  Like them at www.facebook.com/friendshipdairies and follow them on Twitter at @FriendshipDairy and Pinterest at pinterest.com/FriendshipDairy.

Now on to the awesome giveaway I wish I could win myself!!!!  Friendship is providing the is awesome gift bag for one lucky Running, Loving, Living read featuring:

•  Branded Friendship cloth grocery bag ($15 value)
• $15 iTunes gift card (to create a mix for your workouts)
• Brita Filtered water bottle ($10 value)
• Rocco DiSpirito’s new cookbook: “Now Eat This! Italian: Favorite Dishes from the Real Mamas of Italy–All Under 350 Calories” ($26.99 retail)
• 2 Coupons for FREE Friendship Dairies products ($8 value)

Enter to win via the form below:

Friendship Dairies has been committed to making high-quality, protein-packed cottage cheese, sour cream, farmer cheese and buttermilk for almost 100 years. Its dedication to craftsmanship and tradition and its ability to revolutionize culinary classics has been respectfully recognized by publications like SELF, Men’s Health, Women’s Health and Shape magazine. It has been the steady companion of those who not only savor the flavors of the season but look to enhance them with guilt-free goodness that’s easy to prepare.

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post.  All opinions are 100% my own.

What’s Beautiful:

• What’s Beautiful..Knowing You’re Limitless via @LilFancyNancy
• What’s Beautiful:  Letting go of 21 years of weight loss via Live, Love and Run
• Comfort Zone Crushers via Running with Ollie-Lea didn’t let her fear win, she is reaching out of her comfort zone and so can you!!!!

Giveaway’s:

• Iron Girl Entry Giveaway via Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans ends 5/12 @11:59 CST
• Core Ball Review and Giveaway via Eat, Run, Sail ends 5/13/13
• HTC First Giveaway via Fairy Healthy Life
• Cheribundi Review and Giveaway via Running On Candy ends 5/12/13<— I love Cheribundi!!!  It is my favorite juice!!!
• UP by Jawbone Giveaway via The Everyday Warrior ends 5/16/13<—Looks awesome and I want to win!!!

Workouts:

• Total Body, No Equipment, Functional Workout via Live from La Quinta
• Cable Workout Craziness via Truth2BeingFit

Miscellaneous:

• Happiness via Itz Linz <—Great post!!!  My family makes me happy!!!

Have a great weekend all!!!

I went into this 10K race weekend a bundle of nerves.  No I was not racing for time, in all actuality I didn’t even think I would be able to run the whole 10K because my last run was cut short due to knee pain, but the nerves were still there.  My confidence was low and my nerves were high, but I was given some hope from Ra who taped my knee with KT Tape the day before the race.

It can be crazy to park for this race and since we live so close, Chris just drove me.  I had less than a 10 minute walk to the start line.

Security at the start was tight, without a race number you were not getting anywhere near the start line this year.  Last year they had set off fireworks at the beginning of the race, but I had a feeling they would leave that out this year as it would’ve scared the crap out of people.  Only a few of my We Are Athletes! team members were running the 10K, but I managed to find them!!!

Donna and I both had our Sparkle Skirts on for the race!!!!  I actually introduced her to these awesome skirts and was so jealous of the one she was wearing, the picture does not do it justice.  If you want an awesome looking, comfortable running skirt then you need to check out Sparkle Skirts!!!!

The ladies that I had found were planning on running about 10 minute miles, which was my goal too, so I had planned on staying with them.  We lined up at the 9 minute pace sign, while our other teammate Jerry lined up at the 8 minute pace sign as he was planning on running 9 minute miles.

As the race began so did the weaving.  Why do all the slowest runners head to the front??  It is so annoying to have weave past these people and once a half a mile hits people are already walking…..at a half mile, yes these people need to head to the back not to the start when lining up for  a race.  Okay, now that my rant is over, I was so busy dodging people that I actually forgot to start my runtastic app until a half a mile in to the race., hence the 5.87 miles instead of 6.2 miles.

My plan was 10 minute miles.  My plan failed.  The first mile flew by, no pain and much faster than I planned.  I lost my teammates almost immediatelyI, but that was okay because we each have to run our own race.  Once I realized how fast I took the first mile and a half, I slowed down trying to pace myself appropriately.  I pretty much felt great the whole entire race, I even caught and passed one of my teammates.  During the last mile I pushed hard and just kept thinking that this is what we train for, to run the last mile fast, which is exactly what I did!!!!

56:19!!!!  Unbelievable!!!!  I planned on 10 minute miles and ended up running closer to 9 minute miles with no pain!!!!  Now if I could stay healthy enough to train consistently imagine what I could do!!!!

I hung around the expo with my teammates until about 11:15 am.  We did awesome!!!  One of my teammates ran the half in 1:19, just unbelievable!  We had a lot of fast runners in the half, nobody I could ever come near.  The whole team did awesome!!!!  Congrats to everyone!!!

It was a great day!!  Perfect weather for a race!!  I have to give another shout out to Ra who taped my knee on Saturday, his expertise allowed me to run a pain free race and to regain my confidence!  Thanks Ra!!!  Check out my Expo post to learn more about Ra and how he taped my knee with KT Tape.

Confidence = Success!!!  I will be talking more about confidence in an upcoming post!!!

What was your last great race???

This is why I run.  This is why I refuse to allow physical injuries and mental barriers to push me to stop running.  I LOVE running.  I LOVE the camaraderie amongst runners.  I LOVE the way RUNNING makes me feel.  I WILL never stop RUNNING.

This is exactly how I felt after the 10K, but more on that later, now on to the beginning of the weekend.

Friday started with the LI Festival of Races Expo which I attended from 4-5pm.  I picked up my race number, helped out my team (We Are Athletes) and looked around at the other booths that were at the expo.   I had purchased KT Tape a couple of weeks ago and had attempted to tape my knee without much success, so I was pretty excited to see someone for KT Tape at the Expo.  I quickly itnroduced myself to “Ra” and asked him if he could tape my knee the next day for the race on Sunday.  He said absolutely, I grabbed his card and made plans to return on Saturday.

Saturday I arrived at the expo at about 9:45 am and helped the team setup the We Are Athletes Racing Team’s booth!!

We Are Athletes! is more than a racing team, it is a group of runners with varied abilities and ages that come together to improve their running, work hard and to have fun!!!!  This is an amazing group of people that has welcomed me into their group, as they do for everyone who joins, and that I have come to love running with!!!!

Fred Benlein, our head coach, is an amazing leader!  Whether you are fast, slow, or in between, he will help you improve your running.  It has been an amazing experience to train with this group over the last year, minus my time away when I was injured.  For as long as I live in the area I am proud to be an athlete with this team!!!!

If you live on Long Island you definitely need to check us out!!!  We meet on Tuesday nights in both Farmingdale and Bellport.  For further information be sure to check out their website.  You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram!!!!   You can also email me with any questions you may have and if I can’t answer your questions I will hook you up with someone who can!!!

The best thing is that it is free to come down and workout so you have nothing to lose by trying it out!!!!

When more team members started to arrive at the booth I knew it was time for me to duck out and get my knee taped, so I headed back to Ra’s area just in time to get in line before it got really crowded.  I was behind this nice lady (sorry, I can’t remember her name) who generously offered to allow me to go first as her problem was unique.  I thanked, but told her it was fine as I wanted to watch Ra at work.

This woman actually had a problem with her toes that is going to require surgery, but thought until then that the tape could help.  I found it interesting to watch because her second toe basically crossed over her big toe, completely out of place, and it was pretty obvious this is not something Ra dealt with all the time.  He expertly assessed her foot and although it took a few tweaks, he successfully taped her toe into proper position.  I should have asked if I could take pics because my explanation does not adequately portray the expertise it took to do that job.

Before Ra taped her other foot, he taped my knee and she graciously took pics for me with my iPhone!!!!

I had brought the KT Tape that I had bought a few weeks ago, unfortunately I bought the wrong tape, which would be my first mistake.  I had purchased the cotton, rather than the synthetic, which Ra said won’t last for an athlete, now I know why my application pretty much fell off while I was working out.  My second mistake was not using a skin prep to help with adhesion, KT Tape has an awesome spray to help with that, which I ended up purchasing along with the synthetic tape.

Ra evaluated my knee, prepped it and taped it.  He was amazing!!!  This is a man that is an expert at applying this tape.  He also knows how to assess each individual and applies the tape accordingly.  I saw him apply the tape to another woman’s knee and it was completely different from the application he did on me.  As no two people are made physically the same it would make sense that not every application of tape is the same either.  The fact that Ra can discern this makes him an expert in my book.

Ra was amazing!! If you are a runner battling an injury and you are lucky enough live in our area or to be visiting then you definitely need to make an appointment with him!!!

Rawle “Ra” Scope is a certified Strength & Conditioning coach.  He is also one of the fitness director’s for Sportset in RVC. 

He is the NY Rep for KT Tape covering most of the race events. In addition he is an Athletic Trainer for the company, that teaches people how to apply KT Tape at the stores, gyms & PT offices, or any company that carries KT Tape.  At the expos he sells the tape & applies it to the runners with any injuries.

If you would like to reach Ra you can email him at RSCOPE11 at Yahoo dot com.

You can read all about KT Tape on their website.  You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

I will save the race recap for tomorrow’s post, but I will say that the KT Tape absolutely helped me!!!  I was so nervous about this race and did not think I was going to be able to run the whole 10K without walking, but I did thanks to the KT Tape and Ra’s application!!!!

Have you use KT Tape??  What do you think??

Disclosure:  This not a sponsored post, I purchased my own KT Tape and Ra applied it as he did with many other runners at the expo.  My opinions are always 100% my own.

Reviews:

• Protein Time!  Designer Whey Review via Housewife Glamour <—Great review!!!!
• Quest Protein Bars via Comeback Momma <—These look awesome, I NEED to try them.

Workouts:

• Backyard Blast Workout via the Lean Green Bean
• Total Body Functional Workout via Live from La Quinta
• Best Body Bootcamp gets a Facelift via Best Body Fitness <—I have participated in a few Best Body Bootcamp’s and they are awesome, looks like they are going to get even better!!!

Great posts:

• Moms: How Do You Do It All? via Mommy Run Fast <—It is hard and this post offers some great tips!!!
• What Not to Wear: Mud Run Edition via Running With Ollie <—Great post!!!

Challenges:

• Joggermom 2013 Virtual Marathon <—The marathon started on May 1st and ends May 31st, but you can sign up through May 15th.  You have to run 26.2 miles in the month of May and it does not have to be all at once!!!  Registration is $15 and there is a chance to in some awesome prizes.

I hope you all have a great weekend!!!